299 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, IL
Year: 2015
What can we say about the Massacre? It's simply great! Great sets, excellent actors, and a lot of fun thrown in for good measure. We were happy to be able to attend a special July preview of the Massacre and experience some of the new additions and changes that they have coming for this haunt season.
Basically, the majority of the Massacre remained the same, but there were changes to some rooms, such as an addition of a new curving pathway in the jungle area, and some updates to the hospital area, as well as some set additions and subtractions, where props in one area were move to another. The detailed sets remained intact, and thankfully nothing was removed, as we really enjoy the Massacre's many varied rooms. What did change, however, was some of the acting performances. While some scenes were the same, the way the actors in them played their roles was different and, in our opinion, for the better. For instance, one area of the Massacre is a shack in the woods. This used to be populated with cannibal redneck characters, but now included a totally different type of character in the beginning that was excellent (we won't spoil it for those looking forward to an October visit). While the sets continue to impress, it's the actors that really make the haunt. The Massacre manages to combine some creepiness with a lot of humor, and many of the actors not only scare, but tend to play "crazy" at the same time, which can be an effective combination if done well. You're just as likely to have an actor mumbling or screaming to no one in particular as you are to have one jump out at you. Special mention must be given to the zombies in the crypt area, who always manage to quietly surprise us, the doctor and the nurses in the hospital, the native in the jungle scene, the two clowns at the entrance to the 3D portion, particularly the tall thin clown with the mallet - he cracks up every time! Additionally, the actress at the beginning of the shack in the woods area, the guy in the money room who had abandonment issues, and the giant pig-headed "butcher" in the butcher shop were great as well. We always find ourselves looking forward to hitting the next room in the Massacre just to see what nutty actors are in there. Overall, the worst thing we can say about the Massacre is that it always seems to fly by, even though it's about 23 minutes long. There's so much to see and a lot of fun to be had, so make sure you go and bring your friends - you'll be laughing through your scares and planning your return trip to the Massacre - just like we are! |
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